Book: Experimental Plant Ecology
Authors: Pratima Kapur and Sudha Rani Govil
Publisher: CBS Publisher & Distributors, New Delhi
Addition: 2000
Cost: Rs. 120.

"Experimental Plant Ecology", by Pratima Kapur and Sudha Rani Govil, is a new introduction to comprehensive collection of various analytical methods in the field of environmental science in general, and plant ecology in particular, where such publication by Indian authors are limited. However, the book is aimed to undergraduate teaching, it will be widely acceptable to others as a basic and introductory source of knowledge and due to simplicity in presentation.

Content of the book are grouped into five categories. First two deals with environment issues - Environmental Factors and Environment Pollution. For better understanding these broad categories are further classified - such as atmosphere, water, soil, to organize the experiments in best presentation. Similarly other three broad categories, viz., Species and Population, Community Analysis and Plant Analysis deals with plant responses, quantitative analysis of natural vegetation, biomass, productivity, and chemical analysis of plant materials. Each experiment has an illustration wherever possible to understand equipment/method/concept. Text of experiments is followed by Appendices mainly describing and listing plant species of local use e.g. grasslands of Banaras Hindu University at Varanasi and common forest plant species in nearby of Varanasi (Appendix A & B). Appendix C enumerates list of plant species in fresh water ponds, which is based on an old publication of 1968. After Appendices a detailed bibliography is given which is very useful for further reading, and is valuable compilation of sources for advanced knowledge to understand mechanism.

Print and paper quality make this book affordable to students and other interested persons. Text goes smoothly with flow and steps, however, there is need to improve some of the illustrations. Few illustrations have a poor print quality and few instruments shown are outdated models. In future additions this can be improved and few commonly available makes and models may be suggested at the end of experiment or as part of appendices. In general, the book is very economical and handy in size.                                                                                                                                 Dr Subrat Sharma